The greatest team ever to play in Tennessee, and possibly in America is not one of the typical state powers.
Maryville, Brentwood Academy, Dobyns-Bennett, Trousdale County, the once-feared Chattanooga Central and Oak Ridge are just a few that come to mind.
Nonetheless, possibly the greatest dynasty is a mystery team once known as Bedford County Training Center.
This was a public school for African Americans in Shelbyville, Tennessee that was open for more than 30 years prior to segregation.
The Fighting Tigers football team carved out a bit of national history with an unbelievable 78-0-4 record from 1943 to 1950.
Nobody is quite sure who the Bedford County Training Center played. But they are positive that the school set a National Federation record that likely will never be broken with 52 consecutive shutouts from 1942 until 1949.
Coach Edward Finley’s team went nine years without giving up a single point. In addition, the Fighting Tigers nine years of undefeated football tops the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association record book.
The school was later renamed Harris High before it merged with Central High in 1967.
The building that once housed the school has been turned into an office complex.
Maryville, Brentwood Academy, Dobyns-Bennett, Trousdale County, the once-feared Chattanooga Central and Oak Ridge are just a few that come to mind.
Nonetheless, possibly the greatest dynasty is a mystery team once known as Bedford County Training Center.
This was a public school for African Americans in Shelbyville, Tennessee that was open for more than 30 years prior to segregation.
The Fighting Tigers football team carved out a bit of national history with an unbelievable 78-0-4 record from 1943 to 1950.
Nobody is quite sure who the Bedford County Training Center played. But they are positive that the school set a National Federation record that likely will never be broken with 52 consecutive shutouts from 1942 until 1949.
Coach Edward Finley’s team went nine years without giving up a single point. In addition, the Fighting Tigers nine years of undefeated football tops the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association record book.
The school was later renamed Harris High before it merged with Central High in 1967.
The building that once housed the school has been turned into an office complex.
The people of Shelbyville believe the state’s best team played there in the 1940's.
Read more in the Hot Reads section of the 2008 edition of the Tennessee Football magazine now at your favorite bookstore.
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